Sell Garden Land and Backland in Crawley
Selling part of your garden in Crawley for a new home can work well, but the details decide it: the width and route of the access, overlooking, trees, drainage and any covenants on your title. Land to Homes gives a free, no-obligation appraisal and tells you plainly if the plot is unlikely to get permission.
Crawley · RH11Free site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Our coverage in Crawley
Crawley is the main town we cover in West Sussex, centred on postcode district RH11. If your land sits between towns, Horley, Horsham and East Grinstead are the closest neighbouring places on our list. Within England, Crawley falls in the South East region.
In and around Crawley, the land we appraise ranges from paddocks on the edge of Crawley to infill gaps along existing streets, including land behind street frontages. As Crawley is in England, applications are judged against the National Planning Policy Framework, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Tell us where your land is around Crawley and we will explain the routes open to you.
What you get in Crawley
Mortgage lender consent
If your house is mortgaged, the lender's charge usually covers the whole garden. You will normally need the lender to release the part being sold, which your solicitor arranges as part of the sale.
Option and promotion routes
If the plot needs planning first, an option or promotion agreement lets us fund the application. On both, we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms.
Neighbours can combine
Where several gardens adjoin, a joint scheme with one shared access is often more workable than separate plots. A collaboration agreement can share proceeds fairly between the owners involved.
Neighbour impact assessed
Councils look at overlooking, loss of light, noise from a new drive and whether the plot is in keeping with the area. We assess these early, because they are common reasons for refusal.
How the rules work in Crawley
Whether a field or large garden could take homes depends mostly on the council's Local Plan and national policy. Under the National Planning Policy Framework, plans define settlement boundaries, and land just outside Crawley may still come forward if it is allocated, previously developed or meets evidenced unmet housing need. Smaller housing schemes can also use Permission in Principle, an England-only route that settles location, use and amount first. Our free appraisal explains which route suits your land.
In England, the NPPF excludes private residential gardens in built-up areas from its definition of previously developed land, and many Local Plans have specific garden development policies. Recent changes exempt many very small sites from biodiversity net gain, subject to conditions. Restrictive covenants can be modified or discharged by the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).
| Local planning document | Local Plan |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
Your questions answered for Crawley
Can I sell part of my garden to a developer?
Yes, if the land can support a new home with safe access and acceptable impact on neighbours. The land is split from your title and sold with rights of way and services set out in the transfer. If your house is mortgaged, your lender will need to consent and release the part being sold.
Should I team up with my neighbours to sell garden land?
Often it helps. Several gardens together can support a better-planned scheme with one shared access, which councils tend to prefer to separate plots. A collaboration agreement sets out how proceeds are shared, usually by area, so no one loses out because of where the access road happens to go.
Do I pay Capital Gains Tax when I sell garden land?
Possibly. Private Residence Relief can cover part of a garden in some circumstances, but the size of the garden and the order and timing of sales can affect it. Selling the garden after you have sold the house, for example, may change the position. Speak to an accountant before agreeing terms.
Will selling part of my garden affect the value of my house?
It can. A smaller garden, a new drive alongside your home or a new neighbour closer to your boundary may reduce its value, even though the sale brings in money. A local estate agent can advise on the effect on your house, so you can weigh the two together before deciding.
Is Crawley an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land in Crawley and elsewhere in West Sussex, including Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Littlehampton. Where a site suits us we can buy it directly, or set up an option or promotion agreement. On promotion there is nothing to pay upfront.
Read more: Sell Garden Land and Backland · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land